Topic: header bar blues
in Forum: C3 Body
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Overland Park, KS - USA
Joined: 7/9/2003
Posts: 914
Vette(s): 1973 Orange Metallic Coupe (orig owner), L82, 4 spd (WR), PS, (A/C & PW (I installed from wrecked 73)), leather, AM/FM Stereo, ran with '65 FI unit earlier & will again some day.
2023 Accelerate Yellow HTC Stingray
Welcome to the forum.
Not sure what the factory used but if I was going to fix, I'd try Loctite's polyurethane adhesive.
Not sure what the factory used but if I was going to fix, I'd try Loctite's polyurethane adhesive.
1973 L-82 4 spd
201482913352r.jpg)
yep,had the same problem.
|UPDATED|8/13/2017 9:55:01 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|
there are few posts on here about it.
i never cut the bar out to redo it.
what i did was took a 9 inch sander an put 2 sanding discs back to back and went
between the gap and slowly carefully cleaned it up.
then filled the gap with adhersive.
used 2 straight edges and clamp to compress it to the level i wanted to put straight.
it was a 3M product.cant remember the number for it.
but there are plenty f body adhersives on the market now that would be just as good.
it worked out fine.
|UPDATED|8/13/2017 9:55:01 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|
1979 Corvette
Lifetime MemberModerator
Duncanville, TX - USA
Joined: 11/8/2003
Posts: 20214
Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/
Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight"
#2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto
Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas
The actual header bar is riveted to a fiberglass bonding strip, and then the bonding strip is bonded to the underside of the hood surround. IF, and that's a BIG if, the rivets have not corroded and pushed the header bar away from the body/bonding strip, you can "glue" it back on with the proper adhesives as mentioned. It's a tedious job to do with the body on the car. Look carefully across the nose of the car to see if you can see any evidence of corroded rivets trying to poke up into the body from the underside. If so, just rebonding the header bar to the body will only be a temporary fix, as the rivets will continue to be a problem. 
Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56 
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"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"
With the early C3's the aluminum rivets do corrode and push up. On my 69 I didn't want to cut into the glass to remove them so I ended up removing the bar, as mentioned the metal bar is riveted to a glass bonding strip then "glued" under the nose. I believe this changed in 73 with the urethane bumpers but that should be confirmed since it's been awhile. The replacement bars are made to compensate for the bonding strip and thus not needed. In my case I found a NOS stock strip at Bairs. I have not reinstalled it after all these years, the car is still sitting. There were some 2 part epoxies on the market 12-15 years ago and I'm sure there are still plenty. 3M had some but you should be able to find all of them online. Good luck post on what you find and use. If you pull the bar like I did make sure you get the buckets lined up and marked before gluing them in. I had the engine out and had access under the nose. I had to chisel it out. It supports the nose too so be careful.
in Forum: C3 Body
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